Bistineau lakebed burn ban issued

A burn ban, effective
immediately, has been issued for the exposed lakebed of Lake Bistineau located
in Bossier Parish.

Parish Fire District 1 (East
Central Bossier Parish) Chief Robert Rowe and District 2 (South Bossier Parish)
Chief Kenny Tyson announced the ban from burning on or near the lakebed.

Lake Bistineau has been
lowered in efforts to control giant salvinia and a large portion of the lake
bottom has been exposed. Rowe and Tyson said the ban does not extend to the
entire parish at this time.

A burn ban covering all
Webster Parish was issued Sunday after a fire broke out in the lakebed. That
fire has been brought under control, but officials said it served as an example
of how quickly the lake bed can burn.

Roe and Tyson said a decision
on whether or not to extend the ban to all Bossier Parish would be made soon as
all weather data has been studied.